Disposable food containers are well known and are ubiquitously employed in all food related industries, restaurants, caterers, institutional food service establishments, hospital cafeterias, and households. A survey of the field yields a variety of containers for storing, transporting, or serving food in the form of plates, bowls, trays, clamshells etc. Existing food containers fall essentially into two broad categories, namely, one-piece hinged containers and two-piece containers.
A popular type of disposable food container is a hinged one-piece takeout container having a clamshell configuration. These containers are typically made by thermoforming a sheet of plastic material into two adjacent trays interconnected by a material bridge, which acts as a living hinge. The two adjacent trays are disposed on either side of the living hinge and respectively define a bottom container tray and a top lid tray. The container is held closed by some type of latching mechanism.
Hinged one-piece clamshell containers may be constructed from foam materials including expanded polystyrene (EPS). The latching mechanism on foam clamshell containers typically comprises at least one tab-shaped projection incorporated into the top lid tray that engages with a corresponding slot or recess in the bottom container tray. Foam clamshell containers are one of the cheapest solutions of the industry and are not considered upscale enough for use by a majority of image-conscious food service establishments and restaurant chains.
A disadvantage of one-piece hinged takeout containers is that they are awkward or cumbersome to handle when used as a dining dish. In their open configuration the permanently attached lid and the tray of a typical one-piece hinged takeout container utilize a relatively large area on the table surface. Also, eating out of a utilitarian container package having a permanently attached lid is not conducive of conveying to the consumer an ambiance of upscale dining experience and affects the image of the restaurant or food service establishment utilizing such a package. Nonetheless a number of foodservice establishments do prefer a one piece hinged container because it obviates the need to stock two components and also avoids the risk of running out of one of the container components. In addition, using a one-piece hinged container is operationally simpler and inherently prevents—receiving the wrong lids; having an inadequate lid fit; or inadvertently mismatching the container and the lid. In recent years hinged lid container use has grown particularly in two color configurations with a black or colored base connected to a clear lid. However, utilizing a one-piece container does require that even customers who have no need for a lid (such as eat-in customers) must take a lid, which is both wasteful and costly.
Due to some of the inherent disadvantages of one-piece containers and the generally less-than-upscale image associated therewith, two-piece containers are also utilized in the marketplace.
Two-piece containers typically comprise a serving platter or base that can be sealed against or at least engaged with a cooperating lid or cover. The base usually has an upwardly projecting sidewall terminating into a rim. The lid is configured to fit the base and may include a dome shaped central portion to comfortably accommodate food within the base. The base rim may further include sealing ridges, channels, tabs, flared areas or similar features that are adapted for cooperative engagement with the corresponding grooves, notches, inverted channels, slots or the like integrated with the lid or cover.
One of the problems with two-piece containers is that the food service establishment has to carry two separate items in the form of a base container and its corresponding cover or lid. Thus, a typical restaurant ends up storing both container bases and lids for each container size and container type with all the risk of running short of one item or getting the wrong lid or having a bad lid fit.
In addition, two-piece containers are generally held together by closure mechanisms that rely generally on an effective friction fit between the container and the lid. Oftentimes the closure mechanism is not secure enough for general carrying convenience and take-out situations. Having a securely latched container-lid assembly has been a common desire for food related industries, restaurants, caterers, institutional food service establishments, hospital cafeterias, and households for a variety of reasons and situations. With today's busy lifestyle, situations requiring a securely latched container assembly are encountered in everyday life particularly when food is being delivered to household and commercial customers, or while it is being carried to work or other locations, during travel, or on airplanes.
Thus, there is a need for a container-lid assembly that—overcomes the disadvantages associated with existing one-piece and two-piece containers; preserves the upscale image of the caterer, restaurant or other food service establishment; and in addition, provides the convenience of a hingeable container-lid assembly that can be securely latched for take-out or transportation purposes and yet allows the lid to be readily separated from the container-lid assembly while eating out of the container, thereby facilitating the use of the container as a dining-dish. These and other needs as shall hereinafter appear are met by the container-lid assembly of the present invention.